Zola. 2021. USA. Directed by Janicza Bravo. Screenplay by Bravo and Jeremy O. Harris. With Taylour Paige, Riley Keough, Colman Domingo, Nicholas Braun. Edited by Joi McMillon. DCP. 90 min.
"Y’all wanna hear a story about why me & this bitch here fell out? It’s kind of long but full of suspense.” Thus began the odyssey of one A’Ziah King, aka ZOLA. First told in a now-iconic series of uproarious viral tweets, the story comes to dazzling cinematic life in Janicza Bravo’s sophomore feature, edited by Joi McMillon.
In this stranger-than-fiction saga, Zola (Taylour Paige) is a Detroit waitress who strikes up a new friendship with a customer, Stefani (Riley Keough). In no time, Stefani seduces Zola into joining her for a weekend of dancing and partying in Florida. What at first seems like a glamorous trip full of “hoeism” rapidly transforms into a see-it-to-believe-it 48-hour journey involving a nameless pimp, an idiot boyfriend, some Tampa gangsters, and other unexpected adventures.